While the Mets fan base sit on collective pins and needles awaiting the first shoe to drop, the Sandy Alderson Inertia Extravaganza is in full swing. Just as in years past, Sandy is not aggressively trying to make moves to change the roster, waiting for the "market to come to him."
This approach works when you have a Cy Young Award winning pitcher to peddle or a hitter as a rental who was known for producing MVP type numbers. This year, it's more a case of some overripe fruit that is OK to consume now, but the longer you wait the more you risk having to throw it away for nothing in return.
There is, by most accounts, not much of a market for the likes of Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson, Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Fernando Salas. (Wait, I have to stop laughing at that last one!)
The one trade chip that Alderson should have no problem moving is Addison Reed who is pitching quite well as the emergency closer. To date his record is an impressive 15 saves, 2.42 ERA and a WHIP of just about a single baserunner per inning pitched. Whether used in a setup role or as a closer, he would most definitely help a contender succeed. Given that he earns a modest $7.75 million it should be an easy sell.
However, the rest of the expiring contracts are going to be much tougher and would require some salesmanship, creativity, bundling or investment to make them palatable to another team. Since Sandy Alderson fails miserably on the first count and the second count, let's look at bundling.
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Do you remember when the Mets were hot to land vaunted Houston lefty Mike Hampton? The Astros were in a somewhat similar situation and figured they had a hot commodity, so they insisted that the acquiring team take someone they no longer wanted – outfielder Derek Bell.
What's to stop Sandy Alderson from doing the same thing in the case of Addison Reed? You want a new closer, well, I happen to have a lefty slugging outfielder or a positionally versatile pair of infielders that you might want to put on your payroll.
The other approach which I recommended before was to offer to pay a LARGE chunk of the salary for the expiring contracts in trade proposals. The money is a sunk cost and part of the budget anyway. If you said you have to take on Neil Walker and his $17.2 million deal, expect a lot of people to hang up the phone. However, if you said you can acquire him for only a $1 million salary obligation for the remainder of the year, you should be able to pick from top prospects in that other team's organization.
Do you know what won't work? Waiting for the 11th hour and make a mad scramble on July 31st to see if anyone will then take your calls. Notice what winning (or want-to-be-winning) teams do? The Cubs already secured Jose Quintana. The Nationals already secured Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. The Red Sox have cut ties with what wasn't working – Pablo Sandoval. The Diamondbacks just acquired J.D. Martinez for three prospects. While Sandy was snoring the Yankees acquired Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox. Do you see how that works? You make changes to improve the club.
In the Mets case, the changes won't make immediate positive impact other than ensuring roles on the big club for Amed Rosario and perhaps Dom Smith. You make these rental deals to obtain the prospects to help fill the barren farm system that Alderson has pillaged over the years.
What you're currently doing isn't working. Isn't it time to try something else?
Alderson is One Trick Pony.
ReplyDeleteWait,wait,wait, is all he is able to do.
Seriously, look at the organization as a whole talent wise now and compare it to before Alderson.
Look at the medical/injury situation now compared to before.
Not much difference.
Given Sandy's age, should you call him Oldman Neuman?
ReplyDeleteBob, Sandy was probably a waiter in college.
Eat what it takes salary-wise - the cost is sunk.
Obviously, players making a lot, like Duda, Walker, Grandy, Bruce, Cabrera and Reed, each become $50,000 to $100,000 cheaper every day they are not moved, so some buying teams may feel by waiting the price naturally drops and negotiations get easier. Grandy, for instance, would be owed $1 million less on July 31 than on July 21. Every million counts to most clubs.
Heck, if we had to pick a year to have a slew of injuries, 2017 might as well be it, given that the Dodgers look totally unbeatable and the Astros close to that.
And while Sandy Alderson continues his long summer's nap, the Marlins dealt David Phelps to the Mariners for -- count 'em -- FOUR minor league prospects.
ReplyDeleteReese, we'll probably end up with half as many prospects for Addison Reed, a better pitcher
ReplyDeleteI think I know Sandy's favorite band:
ReplyDeletehttps://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61c0fPfphmL.jpg
"If what you're doing isn't working, try something else."
ReplyDeleteLike a new GM?
I will admit...never heard of Kahnle. 62 Ks in 37 innings? I want guys like that.
ReplyDelete@Adam -- and don't forget a new manager, too. However, I do have a rare item of praise for the Skipper today. He kept Conforto in CF and inserted Granderson in RF. That's smart (and uncharacteristic) since the club needs to see if Conforto is a viable long term option to man CF. They already know what Granderson can do there and he's not part of the 2018 team. I wonder who suggested to Terry to do that?
ReplyDeleteYou did, Reese!
DeleteDoes anyone know how Jeffy fits in to all this. I find it hard to believe the silent one isn't fully involved and pulling the strings so how much of this is him or Sandy...... do any of you know? Also doesn't this D Wright situation need to be resolved. Come on David call your friend Cuddyer and ask him how to bow out gracefully for the good of the team as we know you have it in you.
ReplyDeleteThis is Alderson's show.
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